Nearly two decades after investing in flats that were never made livable, senior citizens who bought homes under the Jalandhar Improvement Trust's (JIT) Indrapuram (Master Gurbanta Singh Enclave) housing scheme are still waiting for refunds, even after winning cases in consumer courts. The scheme, launched in 2006 as an affordable housing project, has become a prolonged legal ordeal for many allottees, several now in their 80s.
Paper possession and uninhabitable flats
According to orders from the District Consumer Disputes Redressal Commission, the controversy began in 2009 when JIT offered only "paper possession" of flats that were unfit for human habitation. The commission noted there was no electricity, drinking water, sewerage network, or proper approach road at the time of possession. Allegations of substandard construction were also recorded. JIT deposited over Rs 10 lakh with the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited only in August 2012 for power infrastructure, and electricity reached the colony in February 2013—nearly four years after symbolic possession was offered.
Consumer complaints and court orders
The prolonged delays triggered multiple consumer complaints. The commission repeatedly held JIT guilty of deficiency in service and directed it to refund deposits with interest and compensation. Among the affected is 85-year-old Usha Kapoor. Her late husband JC Kapoor was allotted LIG Flat No 108 (Ground Floor) in 2006. He filed a consumer complaint in 2023 but died in September 2024 before the verdict. In March 2026, the commission directed JIT to refund the amount to Usha Kapoor with 12% annual interest and pay Rs 40,000 as compensation and litigation costs, bringing total dues to nearly Rs 15 lakh.
Similarly, 83-year-old Sohan Lal Arora, allotted a flat in 2008 after depositing Rs 4.70 lakh, secured relief from the commission on February 11, 2026. The order directed JIT to refund the entire deposited amount with 9% annual interest, plus Rs 30,000 as compensation and Rs 10,000 for litigation expenses. The total payable is estimated at around Rs 16 lakh.
Other elderly allottees still waiting
Similar relief has been granted to 80-year-old Resham Kaur, who deposited Rs 3.76 lakh for her flat, and 82-year-old Raksha Devi, whose late husband Hem Raj Jindal was allotted a flat in 2006 after depositing about Rs 3.91 lakh. Both have favourable consumer commission orders, but payments have not been released.
For these ageing allottees, the battle is no longer about getting possession of a flat but recovering the savings they invested nearly two decades ago. Even after winning in consumer courts, many continue to wait for the relief ordered in their favour.
